2024 Santa Fe Shows Off Hyundai's Inventive, Out-of-the-Box Design Chops

While Hyundai was once known for inexpensive, drab economy cars, the Korean automaker's lineup now features some of the most distinctive designs on the market. The shift, led by design chief SangYup Lee, is perfectly encapsulated by the 2024 Santa Fe. Just a few years ago, the Santa Fe was a fine-looking but unimaginative crossover, but a facelift for 2021 brought an unorthodox, catfish-like face that helped it stand out. Now the 2024 Santa Fe distinguishes itself even more within the crowded mid-size-SUV segment with a bold, boxy look that fits into Hyundai's design language while still looking different than the rest of the lineup.

Compared with the smoothly styled outgoing Santa Fe, the 2024 model is all hard edges and straight lines, with a rectangular body shape and an assertive stance thanks to trapezoidal wheel arches. The 2024 Santa Fe's length has grown by 1.8 inches, and the boxy profile helps it appear bigger and more imposing than before. A nearly 2.0-inch-longer wheelbase also gives it a more planted look.

The sharper styling falls in line with many recent Hyundai products, but the Korean automaker has impressively avoided the Russian-nesting-doll strategy employed by many other companies. Mercedes-Benz, for example, is particularly egregious with its "same sausage, different sizes" philosophy, with the CLA-, C-, and S-class sedans virtually indistinguishable to the average person outside of their overall dimensions.

Hyundai, meanwhile, has managed to keep a common design theme while giving each car a unique look. The Santa Fe shares its razor-edged creases with the smaller Tucson crossover and electric Ioniq 5 but keeps the lines straight and horizontal. The other two cars create triangular indentations that give a more dynamic, sporting appearance versus the butch, tough look of the Santa Fe. Even the Ioniq 6, with its curvier profile and smoother surfaces, looks like it is part of the same family as the Santa Fe thanks to its sleek, unorthodox design and expressive lighting and trim pieces.